2019 Corvette ZR1 Rips Around Willow Springs International Raceway
What you can learn from a flying lap around Willow Springs in the new ZR1.
OMG, it’s the Corvette ZR1! General Motors most powerful production vehicle, the 755 horsepower ZR1 has been hotlapped. Specifically, it has been spotted at Willow Springs International Raceway. Willow Springs is the race track of choice for Los Angeles hot shoes, so it’s only natural that it would be spotted here surrounding the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Now, this isn’t some Motor Trend shoot out, with Randy Pobst behind the wheel. Though, I wish that were the case. Instead, Chevy has an unnamed driver escorting journalists around Big Willow in the ZR1. Having turned quite a few laps at Big Willow, I feel qualified to dish out some armchair race car driver insights on this video. So, let’s break it down.
First off, this video is criminally short, and devoid of information. There is an out lap, one flyer and a cool-down lap. That flying lap is what we care about. Our unnamed driver is not running the super Chevy at full-tilt. There are several areas where it is obvious he is being gentle with the car. For example, watch how the car navigates the infamous Turn 9 and hits the front straight. With a closing speed on 155 MPH the car obviously it making power. However, a faster run through Turn 9 would have seen the car easily besting 160 MPH in the front straight.
ALSO SEE: 2019 Corvette ZR1 Coupe and Convertible Pricing Announced
Additionally, there are other areas where he seems hesitant or uncertain. The question there is: Why? Is the ZR1, with it’s big power and aero a bit difficult to drive at the limit? Or, perhaps our wheelman is simply not familiar with Big Willow. The circuit is brutally demanding, and has bested drivers, experienced and otherwise. Notice the excessive wheel shuffling and “sawing” motions. Big Willow is a high-speed track where being smooth is everything. It shouldn’t require a lot of small, fussy inputs, unless the razor-sharp ZR1 is riding on knife’s edge. Hmm…
Regardless, the car turned a 1:29 lap, despite the driver braking before the start/finish line. Objectively, a 1:29 is flying around Big Willow. However, this is no ordinary track day car. My gut instinct is telling me that the car has about a 1:22-1:24 lap in it. The question know is, when are we going to find out?
